System of rapid transit



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v H. PLAD.

SYSTEM OF RAPID TRANSIT.

No. 405,306. PatentedJune 18, 1889 Qwitweowy I awwwfo'c Nv PETERS.Phuw-Lime m hu. wuhin m'n. D c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. PLAD. SYSTEM OF RAPID TRANSIT,

No. 405,306. Patented June 18, 1889.

wi/t weooo -.N PETERS. Pholu-Liihcgraphu. Wnhingtcn. 0. 1

3 Sheets'-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

H. FLAD. SYSTEM OF RAPID TRANSIT.

PatentedJune 18, 1889 lmwweoo eo also, when desired, to the motors fordriving" UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY FLAD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SYSTEM OF RAPID TRANSIT:

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,306, dated June 18,1889. Application filed June 16, 1887. Renewed November 23, 1888. SerialNo. 291,713. (No model.)

to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in rapidrtransit systems, andmore particularly to the construction of station-platforms for theconvenience of passengers in entering and leaving the trains. I

In an application for Letters Patent bearing the same general title asthe present and filed on the same. date therewith a movable platform wasshown and described as actuated by compressed'air from a conduit adaptedto furnish a supply to storage-reservoirs carried by the train foroperating the air-brakes, and

the cables.

The object of my present invention is to provide a movable platform andfeasible mechanism for operating the platform, whereby the passengersleaving and entering a train at stations where there-is liable to beacrowd may be rapidly and safely loaded and re-.

-, lar view showing the platform in its elevated position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, and

Fig. 3'is a view in side elevation.

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view on a smaller scale.

A represents the track; B, the platform at the station considered as awhole; O, the car standing on the track in front of the station; D, thestation, and E a power-supply, preferably a supply of compressed airconducted along thetrack in a suitable conduit to be employed infurnishing power to actuate the brakes and the cables as well as themovable platforms. It is not, however, essential to my present inventionthat the power be confined to compressed air, as water under pressure orsteam might be substituted therefor.

The upper section of the platform (designated by the letter O) is on alevel with the floor of the car, and is divided longitudinally into twoparts. That part c which lies next to the track rests on'the'plungers 0'of hydraulic rams connected by iron girders 0 with brackets 0 at shortdistances apart, to which the planks composing the platform arefastened. same dimensions, is carried by the same plunger about eight orten feet below the upper platform. WVhile no train is stopping at thestation, the plungers of the hydraulic ram are at their highestpositions, as shown in Fig. 1.

Eightor ten feet below that part of the upper platform next to thestationhouse, and which is on a level withthe waiting-room, is a fixedplatform 0 from which a stairway o Another platform 0, of exactly theleads to the sidewalk,while the waiting-room is'reached by a separatestairway. ner and outer parts of both upper'and lower platforms areseparated by wire screens 0 when no train is at the station. \Vhenatrain The in arrives, the passengers leaving the cars get on theplatform 0, and as soon as all who desire toget oif at that station haveleft the cars the platform is allowed to descend until it reaches thelevel of the fixed platform 0 at which moment the platform 0 has reachedthe level of the fixed part of the plat-form O.

Every hydraulic ram I is connected with a large closed cylinder Q,placed at or near the station, by a pipe p, which enters into the bottomof the cylinder. All the pipes 11 enter the cylinder on a straight line,and at their upper ends each is provided with a Union water-meter p, orsome similar rotary meter or pump, in which the quantity of waterpassing through it is directly measured. The spindles of all the meters7) are connected, so that the quantity of liquid passing from thehydraulic rains to the cylinder,or vice versa, must be the same for eachone of the pipes. The closed cylinder Q is of such dimensions that itwill hold the liquid used (glycerine or oil) of all the hydraulic ramsin addition to the liquid required to cover the meters at the ends ofthe pipes p. The cylinder Q is connected with the main coml'H'OSSOdHll'conduit by a pipe p leadin g from a point at or near its top. In thepipe p a three-way cock p is placed, which, when in one position, willestablish a connection between the interior of the cylinder and theatmosphere, and in another position will open eommunication between theinterior of the cylinder and the main air-supply pipe. The pipes p areeach provided with a stop-cock p at points a short distance below thebottom of the cylinder Q, which are connected so as to be opened orclosed together.

The diameters of the hydraulic rams l are such that the pressure of thecompressed air from the main supply-pipe is a little more thansul'tieient to raise the combined weight of the pluugers, the beamsconnecting the plungers, and the weights of the platforms. llofore thetrain arrives the plungers stand at their highest positions and thestop-cocks p" in the conneeting-pipes are closed. The threeway cock isadjusted to open communication between the cylinder Q and the mainair-supply pipe. After the train has arrived and the passengers havestepped onto the movable platform 0, the stop-cocks p are opened, and atthe same moment the three-way cock is adjusted to open communicationbetween the cylinder and the atmosphere and close communication betweenthe cylinder and the main {tllSllP1)l V pipe. The compressed air in thecylinder is now free to escape, and the platform, with its lead, willdescend, forcing the liquid through the meters into the cylinder. \Vhenthe plungers have reached the limit of their downstroke, the compressedair will have escaped from the cylinder and the cylinder will be nearlyfilled with liquid.

The plat-form may have its lead very unevenly distrilnited, and suchdistribution would naturally eausethe plnugers to descend with varyingspeeds, and thereby tilt the platform and cause the plungers to bind butas the liquid is forced to escape through. the meters, and as the metersare connected in such a manner as to require them to rotate with equalspeed, the plungers are caused to descend at a uniform W110 and theirfree movement is secured. The small openin in the threcway cock throughwhich the compressed air escapes admits of regulating the descent of theplatform with a great degree of accuracy. Aftcr the train has left thestation the three-way cock is adjusted to cut off communication betweenthe cylinder and outside air and to open communication between thecylinder and the main air-supply pipe, which -will returnthe'platformsto their elevated adjustment by forcing the liquidinto therams.

13y the above construction the platform may be allowed to remain at restduring portions of the day when thetravel is light, and while so at restthere is no waste of power and yet it is ready to be operated at anymoment. Power is used only to elevate the unloaded platform, and themanagement is so simple that the gate-tender or ticket-receiver canreadily attend to it without additional help and the disagreeable andoften dangerous condiet of passengers pressing their way in oppositedirections to and from the train avoided.

an auxiliary in landing and receiving the passengers, the car-doorsshould open along the side of the car and the seats run transverselyacross the car, there being one door for each two seats- This wouldprevent the delay which is caused by the long line of passengerscrowding to the end doors to step off, would do away with the necessityof end platforms and thereby save seating-room, and would tend todistribute the load more evenly on the platform. The specificconstruction of the car is not, however, a part of my present invention,but is reserved as the subject-matter of a future application.

It is evident that the construction and arrangement of the several partsof the movable platform and its actuating mechanism might be varied inmany respects without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to theconstruction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure bylictters Patent, is-

1. In a rapid-transit system, the combination, with stationary platformslocated in. different horizontal planes and a track located. near theupper platform, of an elevator having upper and lower platforms andloeat 1-d between the stationary platforms and track, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with fixed platforms located in dilferent horizontalplanes and a track, of an elevator located between the track and fixedplatforms and provided with two platforms, the latter when the elevatoris in its lowest position registering, respectively, with the fixedplatforms, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with a lived platform and an elevator located adjacentthereto and having two platforms, of a series of hydraulic rams locatedbeneath the movable chwator,

TIO

a series of platform-supporting plungers adapted to slide within therams, and means for operating the plungers, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with two fixed platforms located in differenthorizontal planes, a stairway to each platform, and a track, of anelevator located between the fixed platforms and track and provided withthe platforms adapted when in their lowered positions to register withthe fixed platforms, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a fixed platform and an elevator having twoplatforms located adjacent thereto, of the series of hydraulic rams, theelevator-supportin g plungers adapted to work in the rams, apressure-cylinder, pipes leading from the rams to the pressurecylinder,and a power-supply in connection with the pressure-cylinder,substantially as set forth.

G. The combination, with the movable platform, the hydraulic rams, andthe platformsupporting plungers, of the pressure-cylinder, the pipesleading from the rams to the pressure-cylinder meters located atthecylinder ends of the pipes, and a power-supply in connection with thecylinder, substantially as setforth.

7. The combination, with the series of hy draulic rams, theplatform-supporting plungers adapted to work in the rams, thepressurecylinder, and the pipes leading from the several rams to thebottoms of the cylinder and terminating in a horizontal line, of aseries of meters located in the ends of the pipes within the cylinderand means for communicating pressure to the cylinder, substantially asset forth.

8. The combination, with the hydraulic rams and the pressure-cylindercommon to the several rams, of meters located in the conduits leadingfrom the pressurecylinder to the rams, adapted to regulate the flow ofliquid to and from the rams, and mechanism connecting the severalmeters, whereby they are caused to operate simultaneously, for thepurpose substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HENRY FLAD.

Witnesses:

EDWARD F. FINNEY, ARCHIE McL. HAWKS.

